Endoscope system

• US 20020175992A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Eino, Teruo
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00048 Constructional features of the display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An endoscope system is provided with an endoscope and an image display section that displays the image of a subject captured by an image pick-up element provided in this endoscope. The endoscope is provided with a connector whereby a serial communication cable is detachably connected and a signal processing circuit that converts the image captured by the image pick-up element to a signal capable of being transmitted through the serial communication cable. The image display section is a screen displayed on a display device of a terminal device connected to the serial communication cable; and the screen is provided with an image display region used for display of an image captured by the image pick-up element and a display region for control purposes whereby control of the endoscope is performed.

Claims

1. An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope; and

an image display section that displays the image of a subject captured by an image pick-up element provided in this endoscope,

wherein said endoscope comprises;

a connector for connecting a serial communication cable detachably; and

a signal processing circuit that converts the image captured by said image pick-up element to a signal capable of being transmitted via said serial communication cable; and

wherein said image display section is a screen displayed on the display section of a terminal device connected to said serial communication cable; and

said screen comprises an image display region used for display of an image captured by said image pick-up element and a display region for control purposes whereby control of said endoscope is performed.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said terminal device is a personal computer.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said endoscope comprises a curved section that can be freely bent, and said display region for control purposes comprises a function of bending said curved section remotely.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said display region for control purposes is capable of controlling the mode of display of the image captured by said image pick-up element that is displayed on said display section of said terminal device.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 1 wherein said display region for control purposes comprises a function of storing in memory the image data captured by said image pick-up element that is displayed in said display section of said terminal device.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 5 wherein said display region for control purposes further comprises a function of recording on to a portable recording medium the image data stored in said memory.

7. An endoscope system comprising an endoscope having an insertion section and image display means that displays a subject image captured by image pick-up means provided in this endoscope, comprising:

a connector for connecting a serial communication cable detachably to said endoscope;

signal processing means provided in said endoscope and that converts the image captured by said image pick-up means into a signal capable of being transmitted via said serial communication cable; and

a personal computer connected via said serial communication cable;

wherein said personal computer is arranged to be used as centralized control means of the endoscope, including display of the image captured by said image pick-up means.

8. The endoscope system according to claim 7 wherein said endoscope comprises a curved section that can be freely bent, and said centralized control means is capable of remotely bending said curved section.

9. The endoscope system according to claim 7 wherein said centralized control means is capable of controlling the display mode of the image captured by said image pick-up means that is displayed on the display section of said personal computer.

10. The endoscope system according to claim 7 wherein, on the display section of said personal computer, in addition to the display of the image captured by said image pick-up means, a plurality of functions are displayed and said centralized control means performs control such as to execute the function designated by selection designation means.

11. The endoscope system according to claim 10 wherein the functions designated by said selection designation means include a function of storing in memory image data captured by said image pick-up means displayed on said display section of said personal computer.

12. The endoscope system according to claim 11 wherein the functions designated by said selection designation means further comprise a function of recording on a portable recording medium image data stored in said memory.

13. The endoscope system according to claim 7 wherein said personal computer is operated with a prescribed operating system and said personal computer is capable of centralized control of said endoscope by installing on said personal computer a software program for making it possible to control said endoscope.

15. The endoscope device according to claim 14 wherein said transmission means and said reception means perform transmission of said image data and reception of said control information respectively via a serial communication cable.

18. The endoscope system according to claim 17 wherein said endoscope comprises a freely bendable curved section and said control means comprises a function of bending said curved section remotely.

19. The endoscope system according to claim 17 wherein said control means is capable of controlling the display mode of the image captured by said image pick-up element displayed in the display section of said personal computer.

20. The endoscope system according to claim 17 wherein said control means comprises a function of storing in memory image data captured by said image pick-up means displayed in the display section of said personal computer.

21. The endoscope system according to claim 20 wherein said control means further comprises a function of recording image data stored in said memory on to a portable recording medium.

14. An endoscope device comprising:

image pick-up means that captures the image of a subject;

image processing means that generates a video signal by video signal processing for an image pick-up signal output from said image pick-up means;

compression processing means that generates image data by compressing the video signal from said video processing means;

storage means that stores image data generated by said compression processing means;

reading control means that controls reading of said storage means;

transmission means for outputting image data read from said storage means;

reception means that receives control information for controlling the function of said video processing means;

video processing control means that controls said video processing means in accordance with the control information received by said reception means; and

communication control means that controls said transmission means and said reception means.

16. An endoscope system wherein the endoscope and a personal computer are connected using a serial communication cable, said endoscope is controlled by control instructions transmitted via said serial communication cable from this personal computer, and image data of observation images produced by said endoscope are transmitted to said personal computer via said serial communication cable.

17. An endoscope system comprising an endoscope having an insertion section and image display means for displaying a subject image captured by image pick-up means provided in this endoscope;

said endoscope system further comprising;

a connector for connecting a serial communication cable detachably to said endoscope; and

a personal computer connected via said serial communication cable;

wherein the display section of said personal computer is employed as display means used for display of an image captured by said image pick-up means and said personal computer is used for control means that performs control of the endoscope.